Overview
- Multiple MMA outlets reported July 24–26 that Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire will face Doo Ho Choi on the UFC 331 card scheduled for Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
- Freire arrives having gone 1-2 in his first three UFC fights and coming off an April loss to Aaron Pico that included reported facial fractures, so this fight is framed as a rebound opportunity.
- Choi comes in on a three-fight winning streak, including a May knockout of Daniel Santos that earned Fight of the Night honors, and he is a UFC Fight Wing inductee for his 2016 bout with Cub Swanson.
- The promotion has not confirmed UFC 331’s main event, and separate reporting has floated a possible Arman Tsarukyan–Charles Oliveira rematch as a rumored headliner.
- Freire’s signing highlights the crossover of a two-division Bellator champion into the UFC and the match’s outcome could affect both fighters’ standing in the featherweight division and their short-term career trajectories.